On 20 February 2025, a large queue formed in Malé as the Maldivian government began distributing free cases of canned tuna for Ramadan. A photo gallery by The Edition records the line directly in several captions, showing residents waiting and leaving with their allotted cases. Distribution was scheduled to continue through the end of the month in Malé, Villimalé and Hulhumalé.
Tuna is not an exotic extra in the Maldives; it is central to the islands’ diet and fishing economy. The object at the end of this line was therefore an everyday national food repackaged as seasonal public assistance. Identical cartons connected the religious calendar, household provisioning and government distribution in one highly visible queue.